FATE REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 4

"Who is it at the door, Lucy?" asked Austine, but Lucy stood still in her place.

"Miss Campbell, we are here to take you back," said the man at the door; four other boys stood behind.

"Yes, how may I help you?" said Austine, standing behind Lucy.

"We are here to take Miss Campbell back," said the man.

"I think you got the wrong house, there is no Miss Campbell here," said Austine and chuckled while looking at Lucy.

"We are here for Miss Lucy Campbell," informed the man.

"Do you know this man, Lucy?" asked Austine, but Lucy was frozen in place, not moving an inch or saying anything; she only nodded.

"I should get going, Austine. Thank you for everything," said Lucy and just ran out of the door with those men, leaving Austine confused.

***

"Where did you go, sweetie?" asked Mrs. Sophia and hugged Lucy as she entered the palace. Lucy didn't hug her back, nor did she say a word. At a distance Blake stood, folding his arms over his chest, as Lucy hugged Mrs. Sophia, she glanced at Blake, and their eyes met.

"Sorry, I went to a friend's house for a sleepover. I am sorry I didn't tell you," lied Lucy and smiled.

"Okay, now that you are here. We have a lot to do. Blake and Isabella's wedding is in three days and we have a lot of shopping to do. We had to buy dresses and set up Blake's room and decide on a menu, and make a guest list and many more things. How am I gonna do all that without you?" said Mrs. Sophia. Lucy just smiled faintly and nodded, glancing at Blake.

"Excuse me," she excused herself and ran upstairs.

She pushed the door; the door flew open with a loud thud, and she went inside the bathroom. Lucy put both of her shaking hands on the basin, tears pooled in her eyes, and then all the emotions she had been putting off came running to her. Streams of sadness rolled down her cheeks as she tried to hide her tears. Her trembling hands gripped the edges of the sink, seeking support as tears streamed down her face and emotion overwhelmed her. She had endured grief and sorrow before, but this one…this one pierced her soul. She let out a choked sob, the weight of her sorrows suffocating her. She took deep breaths to calm herself down, and with each breath, her body trembled, and her chest heaved with sorrow.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and at her tear-streaked face. Lucy wiped her tears with the back of her palm and washed her face, taking shaky breaths. She knew no matter how much she told herself that she would be okay or get through this, it would be useless; it would rather be a lie.

"I will run away again," she whispered to herself.

She then took a long hot bath to relax, changed clothes, and went into her room. Then, as she brushed through her long auburn locks while sitting in front of the vanity table, she composed herself and took deep breaths.

"Get your s**t together, Campbell," she whispered to herself again, and went downstairs.

***

Only two days were left for Blake and Isabella's wedding. People had started coming to the palace for the stay. Housekeepers and servants got busier than ever, taking care of the guests and arrangements. Mrs. Sophia and Lucy were spending their entire day roaming around the malls, finding the perfect dress for Blake and for themselves.

Event planners were hired to decorate the entire palace; the palace had started smelling like a garden. Blake and Isabella's wedding was announced officially to the whole community, invitation cards were distributed, and everyone in the community, whether it was beta, gamma, or omega, was invited to the wedding.

Lucy decided not to look at Blake and just go with the flow, to be with Mrs Sophia all the time and keep herself busy all the time, because she knew if she didn’t ignore him and glanced at him, all the emotions would drown her again. She took all the responsibilities on her shoulders and supervised everything, whether it was cleaning the guest rooms, decorating the royal chamber, or shopping. She made a long list of things to be done.

Blake, on the other hand, was confused seeing Lucy like this. That night kept flashing through his mind. He stood at a distance; his hand locked behind, and looked at Lucy, who was ordering the servants while they decorated the stairs with lights.

***

Lucy's heart raced faster and faster with each passing day as the wedding day came closer. The entire kingdom buzzed with the preparation and chatter of guests. The vast halls were covered in opulent decoration fit for the grand celebration. The whole palace was covered in lights from the outside, shimmering like glitter at night. Mrs. Sophia was the most excited; Blake's tux was finalized; it was a grey-coloured tux, matching the colour of his eyes. Today, Mrs. Sophia and Lucy went to malls to finalize their dresses.

The mall was bustling with hums of chatter and laughter; they entered a boutique. On one side, it had all the bridal dresses in hues of white, and on the other hand, there were dresses for bridesmaids and other relatives of the bride/groom, hung on the railing in all the pastel and neon shades, available in all styles and designs.

Lucy gently ran her fingers through the dresses along the soft, slippery fabrics. She scanned through the collection while Mrs Sophia was busy deciding on her dress. A dress caught Lucy's eye: an icy long blue dress with a slit. She took it out, eyeing it, and just then, a salesgirl approached her, greeting her with a smile.

"Would you like to try it on, ma'am?" asked the salesgirl.

"Yes, please."

"The fitting room is this way," said the salesgirl, and guided her towards the fitting room.

In the fitting room, she tried it on and looked at herself in the mirror, running a hand all over the dress, but then she decided to search more as it didn't click in her mind. Lucy changed and searched for other dresses but kept glancing at the bridal gowns; those were the dresses she wanted to wear. As she shook off that thought, she told herself not to look at it that way.

Finally, after five hours, Mrs. Sophia and Lucy returned to the palace and right then, she ran to her room.

***

At midnight, when everyone slept, the palace was covered in complete silence. Lucy silently descended the stairs, making her way toward the exit. Lucy looked here and there and tiptoed. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Just then, somebody grabbed her wrist from behind, and she froze again.

She looked behind and was about to scream, but whoever it was, covered her mouth with her hand, pinning her against the wall. Lucy's eyes widened, trying to say something, but it was muffled by the hand. She looked straight, and her eyes met with those smoky grey eyes. They stood like this, only some inches away from each other; Lucy's chest rose and fell, and their breath synced. She looked at the hand covering her mouth.

"I need to talk to you about something important," said Blake.